It was standing room only as angry residents complained to a building company over work on a new housing estate.

Disgruntled people complained of abusive language from workers and constant disruption around the Stonefolds site on Turnberry Way, Marton, Middlesbrough.

Representatives from the building firm Gentoo faced a range of complaints, including mud from the site making a mess on local roads, trucks blocking traffic, cars parked on footpaths and site workers using foul and abusive language towards residents.

One resident, who was angry at the state of the surrounding roads, told the meeting, at Lingfield Primary School, Middlesbrough: “We’ve had construction staff coming on and off that site and trucks are just driving straight off the site and bypassing the wheel-wash.”

Mud trailed out on the main road

Other residents raised concerns about workers from the site parking their cars on public footpaths.

PC Neil Bennett said: “If they are parked illegally I would gladly stand there all day giving out tickets.

“We could put police cones out but that might just mean that they start to park in the cul-de-sacs instead.”

Ian Porter, executive director of property for Gentoo, said: “I acknowledge that we could have handled the parking better.

“We need to speak to the workers on site and get that parking sorted.”

However one resident said: “It’s too little too late.

“Why did the council sell the land to people who do not have adequate planning in place?”

The muddy site entrance

Regarding the claims of foul and abusive language being directed towards residents in the surrounding area, Mr Porter said that the individuals involved would not be working at the site with immediate effect.

Mr Porter also told residents that he took their concerns very seriously and that he would resolve them as soon as possible.

Closing the meeting, Councillor Christine Hobson said to the representatives for Gentoo: “What I will ask you today is to ask the people who work for you not to use abusive language.

“If you can give me the details of what you are going to do and see that we have some time-tables please.

“There is a civil route we can go down; we could get together with a legal representative and deal with it that way.”